Super Mind: How to Boost Performance and Live a Richer and Happier Life Through Transcendental Meditation by Norman E Rosenthal

Author:Norman E Rosenthal [Rosenthal, Norman E]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2016-05-16T22:00:00+00:00

LAURA: TWO TOOLS WITH DIFFERENT PURPOSES

Laura is an artist, writer, and teacher whom I have been seeing in my practice for some time. She learned mindfulness in a multiweek formal training course taught at Johns Hopkins University about ten years before this interview. Six years later she learned TM in the hope that it would help her manage her winter depressions. She practices both regularly, and has this to say about what she has gained from the two techniques:

Mindfulness

The ongoing impact mindfulness training has had on me is in how to quiet the emotions and quiet the mind, and appreciate life as it’s passing right in front of you. One of the things you learn to do is simply acknowledge how you’re feeling in the present moment. And acknowledging that and saying to yourself, I am happy today and I’m enjoying the sun today. I’m feeling a lot of confused emotions today. Somehow it’s very calming to the mind. I can’t explain the mechanism, but in some ways you’re not fighting your internal monologue.

You’re acknowledging it, bringing it up into the light, and you’re sort of letting it go. Other things I really enjoy are just seeing the present moment, a visual. One of the things I happen to do as a daily meditation is sweep the floor. I happened to get brand-new wooden floors in my house at the time this course took place. And sweeping the beautiful wood floor was an enormous pleasure. The new floor was so beautiful, and the old carpet so ugly, it was a great transformation of my house. But it kept me focused on my actions in the present moment—not going back and not going forward and projecting. And that was the biggest thing that I’ve taken from mindfulness.

I practice mindfulness every day as part of my daily orientation for life. A lot of the day and especially when I’m feeling sort of upset emotional states, I turn to mindfulness and acknowledge my feelings, and I try to listen and look, and be in the present moment.

I wish I could say it was transformational, but I haven’t experienced that. But I would say it certainly increased my quality of life to a great degree. And it’s certainly helped me manage my fluctuating mood swings every day.

Mindfulness is part of a tool kit that any person can take with them. Some people go on to insight meditation. They link the two. I have never had particular insights from mindfulness. I use it to regulate moods and manage daily life. I have just not practiced it in a way that has led to deeper insights.

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